Re: TRIPPER PFD, any alternatives?

Thanks for the update Bolt, I just emailed Gordon and asked him about the changes. I also gave him a link to this discussion.

I have yet to receive a reply from Quiver regarding the MOCKE PFD. I train alone and I need one ASAP. : 0

Hey thanx for the info
I found a pic of the tripper on the canoeconcepts website. Looks nice with all the safety colours etc. Still waiting for the latest price from tripper.
MFB any news on your Mocke?

Tripper Surfski PFD picture

Hey thanx for the info
I found a pic of the tripper on the canoeconcepts website. Looks nice with all the safety colours etc. Still waiting for the latest price from tripper.
MFB any news on your Mocke?

Hi Stan,

Linda from Quiver.com already emailed me. She's trying to get a decent quote for shipment to the Philippines. It comes out at around USD 100 for the Mocke with bladder. I emailed tripper too but they havent replied till now.


Mark

Hi Guys

Just had a long chat with Gordon from Tripper. He requested that we do not refer to the tripper as a PFD. It is NOT a PFD as it has no positive buoyancy. It has to be inflated so therefore it does not fall into the PFD category according to the SABS. Tripper refers to it as a sea kayaking jacket.

Gordon told me that it is not legal in river races. If this is the case, can you use it in a surf ski race that specifies that a PFD has to be worn? I like the idea of inflating the jacket only when you need it and that it does not hamper your swimming effort when deflated.

what do the experts have to say.

I'm no expert but I like the idea of having bouyancy all the time just in case you are not able to inflate before you go under. Getting hit by a surfski in the waves is quite a likely occurance in race, be it yours or someone elses.

Even more dangerous are waves breaking over rocks that can wash you into the rock and knock the air out of your lungs. Quite a few paddlers have had incidents with rocks. With empty lungs and no flotation you are on your way to the bottom if you don't swim for it.

A fresh water paddler on Emmarentia dam died a while back during a time trial when he just fell out his ski and sunk to the bottom. I don't know what the reason was but a heart attack was suspected.

At the end of the day it depends on your swimming ability. A lot of the paddlers in SA come from surf-lifesaving backgrounds and feel totally comfortable in the water. These guys find a PFD a hindrance to swimming.

Personally I like stacking the survival odds as much in my favour as I possibly can.

Its always best to have a pfd on especially if you're training alone. You're right, its best to stack the survival odds as much in our favor as we possibly can.

So what is a reasonable swimming program to ensure or increase the chances you can save yourself in the event of a mishap?

Hi Mark, and everyone else, jsut picked up on this conversation now. Sorry MArk that you had to wait so long for a reply from my MOCKE manufacturers; with me travelling alot I leave most of that up to them, but think I should pick up the reins.

I don't want to punt my jacket too much as I'm not one for biased opinions and also think you got a good honest review from Alain. Just wanted to let you know that having flotation all the time is imperative. On our last race where I was invovled in a rescue the guy would definitely have gone down if he had not had a PFD on. the PFD he was wearing was the new Tripper PFD with the solid foam in and not the one with the foam balls. It looks comfy and has ample juice storage I'm sure it suffices for surfski paddling as well.

Your choice and happy paddling.
Dawid